Mr Beuhne's Bee Farm at Garfield

The Leader newspaper of September 3, 1893 had an article on bee keeping in Garfield which also gave some interesting insights into the development of the town. The interview was with R. Beuhne. This was Frederick Richard Beuhne, known as Richard.

Richard applied to be naturalised in August 1914 and his application papers tell us that he was born in Germany in January 1859 and arrived in Victoria in September 1880. His occupation was an Apiarist, and he had lived at Garfield for 15 years and then at Tooborac for 19 years. Other sources tell us that he was married to Annie Maxwell and they had a son Claud Ralph born in 1887 and a daughter Hilda Bertha Rhoda, born 1891 (1).

The first mention of Richard that I can find in the Shire of Berwick Rate books was in 1884 where he is listed as owning 226 acres, Crown Allotment 71, Parish of Bunyip. He sold the land around 1896. CA 71 fronted what is now called the Princes Highway and was on the west side of North Garfield Road.

Parish Plan of Bunyip - the township of Garfield on the railway line is bottom, centre. Crown Allotment 71, owned by Frederick Richard Beuhne, is north of the town on the Gippsland Road or Princes Highway.

Click on image to enlarge. 

See the full Parish Plan at the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/112025

Mr Beuhne died on June 24, 1933 - this is from his obituary - Mr. F. R. Beuhne, secretary of the Victorian Apiarists' Association, which has just finished its annual conference in Melbourne, was found dead in his room at the Victoria Palace, Little Collins street, on Saturday morning. Apparently he had had a heart seizure. Mr. Beuhne, who was aged 70 years, was one of Australia's leading authorities on bees. He had been a member of the Victorian Apiarists' Association for 41 years. His term as secretary began about six years ago, on his retirement from the office of apiculturist to the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Beuhne's first association with the department was as consultant on apiculture. In that capacity he did most valuable work, and when the industry grew to one of importance he was appointed a full-time officer. His two text books on beekeeping and honey flora are much valued by apiarists in Australia and overseas. Mr. Beuhne had been editor of the "Australian Bee Journal'' since its inception. He was the Victorian Apiarists' Association delegate to the Chamber of Agriculture, and was the judge of honey at the Royal Show. He was also a member of the field Naturalists' Club (2).

On June 24, 1949 a Memorial Cain was unveiled by the Victorian Apiarists' Association in honour of Richard Beuhne as a tribute to his work in the bee keeping industry (3).

Plaque on Frederick Richard Beuhne's cairn, near Kilmore.

Photographer: Kent Watson. Source Monument Australia

https://monumentaustralia.org.au/display/31812-frederick-beuhne

Richard's brother Karl Richard Beuhne also lived at Garfield. He was born in Germany in 1855 and had arrived in Australia in 1890 and was naturalised in 1926 at the age of 71. He and his wife Maria Theresa Josefa (nee Borroman or Borrmann) had four children, all born in North Garfield - Alfa Toni (1892-1899), Friedrich Hans (1896), Otto Kurt (1898) and Rosie Dora (1905). I can't find Karl listed in the Rate books, but he was still in the area when he died on October 30, 1938 at the West Gippsland Hospital in Warragul (4).

Report of Karl Beuhne's death, he was Richard's brother.

Weekly Times November 12, 1938 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225434115

BEE FARMING AT GARFIELD

BY OUR AGRICULTURAL REPORTER

The Leader September 2, 1893 (see here)

The little wayside hamlet of Garfield is one of those places which has sprung into existence since the main trunk railway line to Gippsland was built. It is distant 40 miles from Melbourne and overlooks the Kooweerup Swamp, that extensive tract of reed beds and morass which is now being reclaimed by the State. The township of Garfield is still in the embryo stage, and as yet gives no promise of future greatness. Most of the land hereabouts was selected 10 or 12 years ago, and a farming population settled on it, who proceeded to turn it to profitable account in the usual way by ringing, clearing, cultivating and stock keeping.

The advancement of the district has certainly not been assisted by the operations of the land syndicates, who during the "boom" purchased from the original selectors several thousand acres of land with a frontage to the railway line and in the vicinity of the railway station. This land is now lying idle and absolutely unproductive, while the owners are still holding on in the hope of settlement being attracted some day, thus giving them a chance to dispose of it at something approaching the prices paid for it to the original settlers. As the land was bought at prices varying from £18 to £25 per acres, this hope is not likely to be realised for some time to come. 

The soil for the most part cannot be called rich, except narrow strips in some of the with a growth of heath and coarse sedgy grasses. The timber is not of good character, and its principal use hitherto has been for firewood, of which large quantities used to be sent to Melbourne; but since the unemployed have been engaged at the work of wood cutting most of the residents of the district have found out that it does not pay to enter into competition with them, consequently sending firewood to Melbourne from Garfield has been practically abandoned.

  

Richard Beuhne's farm. 

The Leader, December 9, 1893 - see Footnote 5

The main Gippsland road runs through the district and the principal stream is the Cannibal Creek, a tributary of the Bunyip River. Several of the farms some distance back from the station are fairly well improved, and in a couple of instances beekeeping engages a good deal of attention. Nowadays, when so many people are anxious to get on to the land and engage in some occupation that will prove profitable, beekeeping is an industry which should receive more attention than has hitherto been given it.

It must, however, be admitted that only comparatively few persons are fitted by nature for the occupation, but amongst those who have made it a success is Mr. R. Beuhne, whose farm is situated about 1½ mile from the Garfield station and on the Gippsland-road. Mr. Beuhne selected land here about 11 years ago, and is now the holder of 220 acres. About 30 acres have been thoroughly cleared, a comfortable house erected, an orchard established and other improvements, carried out, but attention is mainly devoted to beekeeping. This is generally considered one of the small things of a farm, but Mr. Beuhne has found it profitable enough to justify him in almost exclusively depending on it; indeed, he is of opinion that if carried on on anything like an extensive scale it does not go well with any industry except poultry keeping, as during the busy season all other work must be neglected in order to attend to the bees.

Richard Bruhne offers lessons in bee keeping.

The Age, September 16, 1893 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197182658

From a small beginning Mr. Beuhne gradually increased the number of his colonies until now he has 136 to control, and the many duties connected with them keeps him fully employed. Indeed, the work in connection with so many hives, when pursued scientifically, is almost endless, but at the same time it is light and highly interesting to any one who really cares for the occupation. If the beekeeper is not really interested in the pursuit and does not follow it for love of the work he will never make it a success, and it is better to direct his attention to some other business. If, on the other hand, attention to all the details of the industry is a pleasure, beekeeping becomes a profitable undertaking in any district that is adapted for the pursuit. 

Some localities are much better adapted for beekeeping than others on account of the climate, the greater profusion of honey producing trees, shrubs and flowers. The Garfield district is not specially suitable, the varieties of eucalypts with which it is timbered being principally those known as stringy bark and peppermint, whereas the box and white gum blossoms secrete most honey, while the flavor of the article is also superior. In the gullies and swampy places also a good deal of ti-tree grows, from the blossoms of which honey of a peculiar character is obtained. It possesses a distinct flavor of its own, and, strange to say, cannot be extracted from the comb by the centrifugal extractor. The closeness with which it adheres to the sides of the cells seems to indicate that it partakes somewhat of the character of gum, though persons who are in the habit of using it declare that they prefer it to any other kind of honey. The taste for it, however, requires to be educated, and its general popularity is never likely to rival that of honey obtained from box or white gum blossom. On account of its non-extracting peculiarity small section frames have to be used in the hives during the period, when the ti-tree is in bloom, while at other times, the ordinary large frames are placed in the boxes.

Richard Beuhne working with his bees.

The Leader, December 9, 1893 - see Footnote 5

Mr. Beuhne uses hives of the Langstroth principle, but the boxes are two inches shorter than the regulation size. He has made them all himself, being an amateur carpenter of no mean skill, and most of the appliances used in their manufacture have also been supplied by his ingenuity. A small circular saw, made out of a piece of a broken hand saw, has been set in a neat frame and worked by a treadle. With this the laths used in the frames of the hives are quickly sawn, and an appliance for boring holes, also worked by foot power, has been provided. Each hive is made exactly the same size so that the parts are interchangeable and he is thus able to work amongst the bees with that confidence which is absolutely necessary if success id to achieved in dealing with these remarkable insects.

In dealing with his bees, Mr. Beuhne is general follows out the practice adopted by the majority of skilled apiarians in attending to the thousand and one particulars involved in beekeeping, and which could not be fully described in anything short of the limits of a book; but he is also experimenting, and there is a possibility of his experiments proving successful, and having an important bearing upon the future of the industry. For instance, he thinks there is a possibility of breeding out the swarming impulse, which causes so much trouble during the season. He points out that it is just as natural for hens to sit as for bees to swarm, yet the desire to hatch has been almost entirely overcome, by breeders in connection with certain breeds of fowls. 

Of course bees are more difficult to control, but by selection and management much may be done. He would select queens, from stock that experience had shown displayed comparatively, little disposition to swarm, and by mating her very late in the season a beginning leading to the desired end would be made. In order to secure the fertilisation, advantage would be taken of a favorable day when the drone bees were likely to fly, and by giving them a little stimulating feed liberating the queen shortly afterwards the desired end would be accomplished.

A careful attention to the laws of selection having the definite object in view of producing non-swarming bees, and following out the lines indicated, would he thinks, eventually result in the apiarian being able to control the impulse as the progeny of queens fertilised late in the season evince less disposition to swarm than those mated early. Mr. Beuhne has at various times grown patches of buck wheat as pasture for the bees, but, as a rule, the insects have to depend for stores on what nature provides. Wattles and acacias, as well as different kinds of heaths, blossom well in the district, but, unfortunately, the flowering season is too early to be of much benefit to the bees, and the blossoms in most instances have disappeared by the time they are most wanted. Just at present the prickly mimosa and pink and white heaths are in full bloom, but the bees are not to be tempted out during the present unsettled weather, and consequently the stores of honey which the flowers contain cannot be utilised.

Mr. Beuhne is now engaged in the endeavor to solve the problem of how to prevent the crystallisation of honey during the winter months. It is well known that the best and purest honey crystallises in cold weather, and this has a prejudicial effect upon its sale, more particularly if it has been put up in glass jars. It frequently happens that the crystallisation is only partial, and while one portion of the contents of a jar assumes the consistency of lard, the remainder is liquid. This causes many persons to think that the honey has been adulterated, and accordingly they decline to buy. The honey does not deteriorate in quality by becoming crystallised; indeed, not a few who know the difference consider that it is improved thereby; but its sale to the general public is undoubtedly affected, hence the necessity for preventing crystallisation if possible. Mr. Beuhne, by a process which he has invented, but which is yet a secret, believes that he can not only prevent any honey from crystallising, but can also treat that which has already become crystallised in such a way that it will ever afterwards remain liquid. If the process, after being thoroughly tested, is the success which he claims, it will have the effect of increasing the local sales of honey, and will be of immense importance if an export trade is established on anything like an extensive scale, as no doubt it will be some day. A press which he has constructed for obtaining wax is very simple and useful, and with it he can obtain just as good wax from old black combs as from now unstained comb.

Richard Beuhne working with his bees.

The Leader, December 9, 1893 - see Footnote 5

 With regard to the profits to be derived from beekeeping, it must be remembered that this district is not a good one for bees, consequently results obtained here are likely to be greatly exceeded in other and more suitable localities. Last year, which was a bad one, Mr. Beuhne obtained only an average of 30 lb. of honey from each hive; the previous season he obtained over 50 lb., and his best record was 80 lb per hive. There is certainly nothing startling in these returns, but, taking one year with another, say 60 lb. of honey, worth at least 4½d. per lb., can be got from each hive, and this is certainly not an excessive estimate, then the gross return per hive amounts to £1.

Mr. Beuhne would advise all who think of going in for bee culture to begin on a small scale and gradually work up. Although much information may be gleaned from books, practical experience must be gained, and this will be less costly when pursued in connection with a few hives than when the care of a large number is attempted by one who has had no previous knowledge of the business. If possibly an opportunity should be sought of getting employment with a practical aparian for at least 12 months, and thus gain the benefit of his experience. Even after such an opportunity to gain knowledge it is necessary to make haste slowly, as there is always something to learn or some unexpected difficulty to overcome. Perseverance, however, will eventually be crowned with success, and the industry offers a means of making a fair livelihood to those who have a taste for beekeeping; and if this industry is combined with poultry farming, the owner of a small block of land ought to make not only a good living, but to ultimately realise a handsome competence.

Trove list

I have created a short list of newspaper articles connected to Frederick Richard Beuhne, his time at Garfield and his other activities. Access it here. 

Footnotes

(1) Naturalisation papers at the National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au Family information from Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(2) The Argus, June 26 1933, see here.

(3) Read the full report of the unveiling in the Kilmore Free Press, June 30 1949, see here.

(4) Naturalisation papers at the National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au Family information from Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(5) The illustrations are from The Leader December 9, 1893, see here. The newspaper incorrectly stated that these illustrations were of Mr M'Farlane's farm at Lyndhurst. There was a correction in The Leader of December 16, 1893, see here,  In last week's Leader a full page illustration of "Bee Farming," the central picture in which is a representation of Mr. Beuhne's apiary, was inadvertently described as Mr. M'Farlane's. The mistake occurred through our reporter having visited both the apiaries named, and his description of Mr. M'Farlane'a place at Lyndhurst was attached in error to the drawings taken by our artist on the establishment of Mr. Beuhne, at Garfield, about 40 miles from Melbourne, on the Gippsland railway.

Tweet

George and Margaret McLellan's farm, Ellerslie, at Lyndhurst

On August 8, 1908 The Leader newspaper had an article on Dairying in the Lyndhurst district. This was the start of the first paragraph - At Dandenong the two Gippsland railways diverge. The next station on the South Gippsland line is Lyndhurst, distant twenty-three, miles from Melbourne. Conveniently situated with regard to the metropolis, it is only to be expected that the district would be dotted with dairy farms. From the local station a considerable quantity of whole milk is daily railed direct to Melbourne. In this connection a Sunday railway service proves of great value to the suppliers (1)

One of these dairy farms dotted around Lyndhurst, was owned by George and Margaret McLellan. Their farming operations were reported on in newspapers in 1908  and 1912 and give us a general  insight into the life of a farmer and a specific insight into their farm management.  The farmer's life is often romanticised, but in reality it is a life of long hours all year round, coping with the vagaries of the weather, the high cost of feed if it is needed to be bought in and the cost of labour. The McLellans supplied milk to the Melbourne market which as the 1908 article pointed out in this connection it is well to remember that a supplier to a city milk distributing firm is bound to supply a certain minimum quantity all the year through. He cannot, like the butter factory supplier, let his cows go dry when the feed fails, but must, in one form or an other, provide them with the wherewithal to produce a normal yield of milk during every day in the year (2).

Mr G. A. McLellan's Ayrshire Herd, at Lyndhurst

 Weekly Times September 29, 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132695134

The two articles basically cover the same ground, so I transcribed only the 1912 article, which is below. Of interest is the fact that this article actually mentions George's wife. The reality is that on family farms the wife played just a large as role as the husband, but she is rarely mentioned in any other articles I have come across. 

Before we look at the McLellan's farm, we will have a look at the McLellan family. George's father Donald, a Scotsman, took up land in Lyndhurst around 1853. In 1857 he married Catherine  McMillan and they had seven children - Dugald (1859), John (1859), Margaret Ann (1862), Alexander Malcolm (1863), Archibald (1865-1868), George Archibald (1872) and Mary Flora (1870). They were all raised on the farm, called Ellerslie, Taylor's Road, Lyndhurst. It is George Archibald who is the subject of this story. George married Margaret Close in 1905. She was the daughter of James Close and his wife Louise Hall. They were both locals, the Close family owned Willowdale, on Cranbourne Frankston Road (read about Willowdale  here). Louise was a Hall from Ercildoune in Hall Road, Lyndhurst (read about Ercildoune, here). (3).

George and Margaret had three children, Gladys (born 1907, married Keith Bedwell in 1935); Mabel (born 1910, married Charles McNab in 1938. The McNabs owned Ercildoune after the Hall family, read about this here) and George Archibald (born 1916, married Barbara Perry in 1945). George had taken over the family farm, Ellerslie, and in turn it was taken over by his son, George, who was still on the farm in 2004 (4). George snr died on December 2, 1958, aged 87. Margaret, died on September 14, 1958, aged 85.  They were both cremated at the Necropolis at Springvale. (5).

The 1908 article was in The Leader, on August 8, 1908 (read it here) The article, below, was in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of March 21, 1912 (see here)

Mr. Geo. McLellan's Dairy Farm. The Economics of Dairying.

 Dairymen engaged in the supply of whole milk for the metropolitan area find that the season is entirely unfavorable. The heavy rains of winter rendered the land so boggy that the sowing of the usual crops was rendered more or less impossible. In the few cases where Algerian oats were sown the yield was extremely poor. In many instances not more than a ton of hay to the acre was harvested. Immediately on the heels of this excessively wet period set in a spring notably lacking in rain. The sodden ground soon set hard, and again almost defied ploughing. Where such fodder crops as maize, sorghum and millet were sown the results have been extremely unsatisfactory. October and November were remarkably deficient in moisture. There was a fair precipitation in December. Since then there has been an abnormally rainless interval. 

About the end of January the pastures began to dry up to almost incredible extent. Contemporaneously the milk yield of the cows has fallen to unpayably low averages. This is a general consensus of opinion amongst dairymen that the manner in which the flow of milk from the cows has dwindled is almost without precedent. It is now tolerably certain that all the fodder crops are failures. With good hay at drought prices, and bran costing about £6 a ton on the farm, hand feeding is necessarily a costly item. It is claimed by some of our most capable dairymen that even with milk selling at 1/ a gallon it is not possible just now to do more than cover working expenses. There is no profit for the producer.

One of Mr McLellan's best milkers

The Leader August 8, 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197064710

A Typical Case

Mr. George McLellan, of Lyndhurst, is a well-known dairyman engaged mainly in the production of whole milk for the metropolitan area. He is one of the leading Ayrshire breeders of the State, and his fine representatives are frequent prize winners at many of our important agricultural shows. His cows are bred largely on utilitarian lines, and the Ayrshires from this farm are an unusually good lot of milkers. The figures of such a farmer are therefore instructive, since there can be no question as to the good dairy character of his milking herd. The animals are also well fed-almost too well fed, one is inclined to suggest, having regard to the heavy cost of concentrates at the present time. 

The fodder supplied to three good milkers. 

The pumpkin was a soft skinned American pumpkin named the Mammoth is successfully grown, and is found of great value. It has the special quality of not requiring to be cut up before being fed to the cows. As its name suggests, it grows to a large size, is a heavy yielder, and provides a wholesome, succulent fodder at a time when other green feed is scarce (6). 

Image: The Leader August 8, 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197064710

The farm consists of 320 acres, of  which about 50 acres is under crop each year. About 30 acres of Algerian oats are sown in autumn, while some 20 acres are seeded with Hickory King maize at the first convenient opportunity in spring. At the present time 44 cows are being milked. They consume each week 134 bushels of bran and 2 tons of chaff. In addition to the continuous service of Mr. McLellan and his wife the dairying absorbs hired labour costing £4 10/ per week. Fixed charges, such as rent or interest on the value of the land, interest on the capital sunk in stock and working plant, depreciation and rates and taxes, amount to £5 per week. 

So far, the milk is selling at 11d. per gallon. The weekly expenditure (7) is therefore as follows:

134 bushels of bran at £6 per ton.. £  8  0  0

2 tons of chaff at £3 ... .................. £  6  0  0

Wages ... ... ... .... .......................... .£  4 10 0

Fixed charges ... ............................ £  5  0 0

Railway freights..............................£  1 0  0

Total expenditure............................£24 10 0

Income:

Sale of 525 gallons at 11d.............  £24 1  3

Profit on sale of stock . ..................£ 2  0  0

                                                               £26 1 3

Lyndhurst Railway Station - the milk from the McLellan farm was sent

 to Melbourne from this Station.

Image: The Great Southern Railway: the illustrated history of the building of the line in South Gippsland by Keith Macrae Bowden. (Australian Railway Historical Association, 1970)

Charges that are ignored

According to this statement, Mr M'Lellan and his wife work hard all through the week, and at the end of it are, strictly speaking, less than two pounds in pocket. This is an accurate review of the financial position of a capable dairyman under the conditions that have obtained during the last months, and which are likely to continue for several months longer. 

The question not unnaturally arises, why does the dairyman continue at such a poorly remunerative industry? There are two answers. One is that it is not always an easy matter to get out of a going concern. The other is that, like many other men on the land, this farmer ignores several charges which are essentially a part of the cost of production. For instance, the farm itself is worth from £3300 to £3500. At four and half per cent. this represents £156 per annum. Plant, including implements, horses, vehicles, engines, cans, etc., represents an outlay of £675. As the wear and tear is heavy, depreciation of at least eight per cent. should be allowed for by the owner. In other words, he is content to make a fair return over actual working expenses without paying due regard to those fixed charges which are always a recognised item in any correct balance sheet.

Labor Problems

It may be argued that Mr McLellan could have reduced his cost of feeding by growing fodder crops on the farm. To some extent this claim would appear to have a sound basis. As a matter of fact, a good area is placed under maize each year, and a portion of the crop is converted into ensilage. But when this point was submitted to Mr. M'Lellan he pointed out that it was impossible to go in for much cultivation nowadays. The labor problem, he avers, will not only prevent the dairyman from extending his cultivation as he would like, but will actually compel him to restrict it. The growing of fodder crops on right lines, their cutting, storing and hand feeding, are all operations calling for a large supply of

reasonable cheap and efficient labor. At the present time this seems to be out of the question; therefore the dairyman will be able to produce less fodder for the regular nutrition of his cows. 

It is pointed out that the claims of the Rural Workers' Union will represent on an average farm a weekly payment of from 70/ to 80/to each adult worker. If the eight hours' principle is cancelled, and overtime and other concessions are allowed-according to the scale formulated by the union-it is pretty safe to say that the average dairyman will have to pay £4 a week for each man he employs. A scrutiny of Mr. M'Lellan's balance sheet will show how impossible it is that his wages should be thus doubled.

(South Bourke and Mornington Journal March 21, 1912, see here.  The article was originally published in The Leader)

Trove list - I have created a list of articles connected to the McLellan family on Trove, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) The Leader, August 8 1908, see here.

(2) The Leader, August 8 1908, see here.

(3) Information in this paragraph comes from 100 Years in Skye 1850-1890, by Dot Morrison (Mornington Family History Society, 2004) 

(4) This information is from 100 Years in Skye 1850-1890, by Dot Morrison, as above and reports on the family in the local papers, see my Trove list, here.

(5) Margaret's death and funeral notice were in The Age, September 15, 1958 and George's death and funeral  notice in The Age of December 3, 1958.

Margaret's funeral notice in The Age September 15, 1958

George's death notice in The Age December 3, 1958

(6) The Leader, August 8 1908, see here.

(7) It is hard to get the columns to line up. The figures show pounds, shillings and pence - hence total expenditure is 24 pounds, ten shillings and no pence and total income is 26 pounds, one shilling and three pence.

Tweet

Progress of Pearcedale - hindered by bad roads - 1922

The Age newspaper of April 5, 1922 (see here) published an article on Pearcedale, about the vile unmade tracks that masquerade as roads in the area. These roads hindered the development of Pearcedale as the market gardeners could not easily get their produce to the railway towns of  Langwarrin, Baxter, Somerville and Cranbourne and hence to the markers. The Scottish investor referred to in the article is Donald Larnach, you can read about him here. A short history of the town of Pearcedale and the Pearce family, can be read here. 

The Progress of Pearcedale - hindered by bad roads.

Settlers tackle the job. From our Special Reporter.

FRANKSTON - Pearcedale is a small agricultural and market gardening settlement sprawled across the neck of Mornington peninsula. It lies between Frankston and Tooradin, and, like many other places 
of the peninsula, has scenic charms which eventually will give it greater prominence on tourist maps. But apart altogether from the magnificent views of Westernport and Port Phillip Bays that may be obtained from its uplands, the place has such a wealth of natural advantages - exceptionally fertile soil, generous rainfall and a genial climate - that it would have been a prosperous and progressive centre many years ago had its development not been paralysed by municipal neglect.

If you were to land at Pearcedale from an aeroplane and inspect its small holdings, apple orchards and market gardens, the crops on which reflect the wonderful fertility of the soil, you would wonder why so much of the surrounding country is still covered with the scrub growth of ages - swamp ti-tree and stunted eucalypt - and why it in still sheltering kangaroos and wallabies instead of supporting some hundreds of prospering families. But if you made the journey there over the vile unmade tracks that masquerade as roads you would understand. The shocking state of the "roads" linking up the settlement with the railway towns -  Langwarrin, Baxter, Somerville and Cranbourne - is an explanation in itself. Very little trouble is experienced in producing the goods; it is supremely difficult to get them out to the  market. 

The track out from Langwarrin to Pearcedale is a crazy one, like a bridle path through the ranges. It shoots into the forest soon after Langwarrin is left, and breaks into several pieces, which twist there and turn here, and leave one speculating as to whether he will emerge at Pearcedale or Timbuctoo. The tracks from Somerville and Cranbourne follow a more definite route, but the grades are bad, and they are sandy, desultory things over which it is impossible to haul heavy loads either in summer or winter. One resident, Mr. J. Barton (1), who retired from the business of a decorator of buildings in the city because it was not profitable after the great land boom had burnt, and who has now as fine a Jonathan orchard as exists in the State, almost explodes with indignation over the state of the roads. "The roads are worse now than, they were 25 years ago," he points out. "When I first started to grow apples I could take 70 to 100 cases over the track to Somerville. Now I can't take 40 cases."  The same story is told by everyone of the settlers.  Only the lack of decent roads has kept men from going to Pearcedale and settling down to the task of making a comfortable living from a small piece of land.

When the demand for building sites drove the market gardeners from their domain in the Brighton district, Pearcedale would have attracted them had the roads been fit for traffic. The land was available at ridiculously easy terms, which made it possible for the gardeners to become the owners of their own homes in a few years; clearing was an easy matter, and the soil and climatic conditions were better than those in the Brighton district. The market gardeners with experience of both Brighton and Pearcedale testify to that. One of these men, Mr. W. Hatch (2), when asked how long he had been at Brighton, replied. "Too long; I did not find this place soon enough." But only three or four of the Brighton district gardeners went to Pearcedale; the others regarded the transport difficulties as too great a handicap.

Making Larnach Road (Baxter-Tooradin Road) bridge near Pearcedale School.

Image: Male family collection, Pearcedale: Moments in History (Pearcdeale Public Hall Committee, 2003)

The settlement at Pearcedale dates back to the early "seventies." At that time a Scottish investor purchased several square miles of the country for his sons and established a sheep station. This was not a success because the boys were too fond of the sporting life. The story is told throughout the district that after the father had tired of sending out thousands of pounds to develop the place, he made a surprise visit from Scotland, and arrived on the property just as a large party had assembled for a kangaroo hunt and other festivities. Of course he spoiled the party. He turned the hunting horses loose on to the roadway, and eventually wound up the estate. 

The property passed into other hands, but portion of it has been held as a large area ever since. The original home of the Scottish investor's sons and 60 acres of land surrounding it are now owned by an industrious market gardener, Mr. J. Pearce, a son of the pioneer settler after whom the district was named. Ten years ago this market gardener possessed £30, and was working for wages - "five bob a day and no 'smoke ohs' and lunches, and a boss over me all the time to keen me at it." He put his £30 down as a deposit on the land, and started a market garden on the paddock from which the irate parent had turned the hunters loose. Prolific yields of vegetables and fruit soon put him on the road to prosperity, and he now owns two houses, 170 acres of land and a building block in Frankston, where he "will retire some day." 

His brother, Mr. S. Pearce, started market gardening "without a bean" eight years ago. He borrowed the money to pay a deposit, and now owns the property which he would not sell under £2000. "If the roads were good enough to enable us to cart stable manure", he states, "market gardening would be a gold mine in Pearedale."

That the land is easy to clear is evidenced by the progress made on an unimproved block purchased two years ago by Mr. C. Chandler (3), a former mayor of Williamstown. Mr. Chandler was nearly 60 years of age when he purchased his block. With the aid of a boy working three days a week he cleared six acres, and planted out 400 fruit trees in less than six months. He sees no reason why Government officials should go "careering round mountain areas in Gippsland, where the roads are difficult to make and the country difficult to clear," in search of land that can he worked profitably by soldier settlers, when the expenditure of a small sum on roads would make suitable areas available in the Pearcedale district.

Pearcedale East from front of school, Larnach Road (Baxter-Tooradin Road), c. 1920s. 

Image: Male family collection, Pearcedale: Moments in History (Pearcdeale Public Hall Committee, 2003)

The Country Roads Board is now making a road from Somerville to the southern boundary of Pearcedale, and has recently made the Frankston-Cranbourne road to the northern boundary of the settlement. This is a big improvement, but it still leaves six square miles of Pearcedale country without a satisfactory outlet to markets. The settlers recently met and decided to help themselves by assisting the Cranbourne council to form and grade the worst portion of the track connecting the settlement with the several railway stations. The Cranbourne council has also recommended the Country Roads Board to construct the Pearcedale road running through the centre of the district. This recommendation was made several years ago, but nothing further was done. 

Now that the Frankston-Cranbourne road has been made and the Somerville-Pearcedale road is in course of construction, the construction of the road suggested by the Cranbourne council through the heart of the Pearcedale country is all the more necessary, as it will provide a direct connecting link between Cranbourne and Somerville and join up the Mornington peninsular with Gippsland. A deputation of Pearcedale residents arranged to wait upon the Cranbourne council on Saturday to discuss the whole subject of road making in the district. Thus it will he seen that the Pearcedale people are starting out in the right direction to remove the disability that has so long checked progress.

(The Age April 5, 1922, see here). 

Footnotes

(1) You can read about the Barton farm at Pearcedale in the Weekly Times of April 23, 1932, see here.

(2) You can read the obituary of William Hatch, in the Frankston and Somerville Standard, of June 7, 1935, see here.

(3) Christopher Chandler, died March 20, 1944 aged 79 (death notice, The Argus, March 22, 1944).

Tweet

Farming at Berwick - 1876

This account of farming at Berwick was published in the Melbourne Leader of March 25, 1876 (see here). It talks about three farmers, James Gibb (spelt in this article as Gibbs), Robert Buchanan and James Buchanan. James Gibb (1843 - 1919) was a farmer, Shire of Berwick Councillor and politician. He owned Melville Park (later called Edrington).  You can read his obituary in the Weekly Times, March 8 1919, here. Robert Buchanan, who died in 1899 at the age of 74, owned Burnbank at Berwick. His brother James (1827-1914) owned Ardblair. You can read James' Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. The brothers were born in Scotland and arrived in Victoria in 1849. It is interesting that the article considers that the special feature of the district is, however the manufacture of cheese by what is known as the Cheddar process.

Berwick in 1877, the year after the article was written. 

Wood engraving published in The Australasian Sketcher, October 27, 1877.

Farming at Berwick - From our travelling reporter
The prosperous-looking little township of Berwick is situated twenty-eight miles east ward from Melbourne, and is passed through by the main Gippsland-road at the point where it crosses the southern extremity of the Dandenong range. The district by which the township is surrounded formed originally the squatting station of Captain Gardiner, who purchased the best of the run from the Crown by auction and cut it up in farms, and resold it about twenty years since. Most of the original purchasers are still in possession of their holdings. The farming country much resembles that of the Kangaroo Ground and the Lower Plenty, being hilly, heavily timbered, and composed of dark basaltic soil, which is for the most part richest and deepest on the tops of the rises. The district, in soil and general appearance, resembles also that of Drysdale, and judging from a sample exhibited at the show held during my visit it appears to possess a similar adaptability for onion growing. Its capabilities in this direction are however yet undeveloped, the sample being an isolated one. 

The opening of the Gippsland railway, one of whose stations is to be at Berwick, will probably have the effect of directing attention to this profitable crop, and in the way that the opening of the Creswick railway has developed potato-growing in the Bullarook district will likely produce a similar result here. The Berwick district used to produce potatoes largely during its earlier career, when the work of clearing the farms from timber was being carried on, and when the high prices ruling for potatoes  handsomely repaid the carriage. During their career the settlers of the district have had their experiences of the unprofitableness of attempting cereal farming alone with harvests of wheat and other grain have been obtained, but these have been alternated with seasons of thin crops, and rust, which  while diminishing the profits of the farmer pointed out to him the necessity for a rotation of crops, combined with stock and cultivated grasses. 

The special feature of the district is, however the manufacture of cheese by what is known as the Cheddar process. So rapidly has this industry spread in the district that there are few farms which are not engaged in it. Amongst the few exceptions is the farm of Mr. Jas Gibbs, the president of the local agricultural society. This farm comprises Captain Gardiner's original pre-emptive selection, with a half section afterwards added, making the total holding now 960 acres. Mr. Gibbs devotes his attention to draught stock breeding, his stud comprising a very superior selection of brood mares, and the recently imported stallion King of the Valley, purchased, by his present proprietor at a cost of 1000 guineas. In addition to what he requires for his own stock, Mr. Gibbs grows a large quantity of oaten hay for the supply of Cobb and Co's. Gippsland line of mail horses. The cropped portion of the farm is worked in rotation, with cultivated pasture, on which some good long-woolled sheep are kept. The hay is stacked with the latest labor-saving derrick appliances and put into marketable form by means of handy chaff-cutting and bagging arrangements. Mr. Gibbs's barn and stabling accommodation is roomy and substantial, and the farm generally presents a most creditable air of trimness and order.

To Messrs. Jas. and Robert Buchanan the district is chiefly indebted for the introduction of cheese-making, an industry that is spoken of by all who have tried it as the most remunerative branch of husbandry they have yet had experience of. The Messrs.Buchanan are among the earliest of the Berwick settlers, having settled upon a 640 acre section which they purchased and worked at first in partnership. They now occupy the section in two separate farms of 320 acres each, which have been cleared, subdivided, partially sown down, and furnished with all the buildings and appliances necessary for carrying on the business to the best advantage. About 100 head of superior  Ayrshire  cattle are kept on each farm, and the number of cows in milk usually average about forty all the year round. The milking-house on both establishments is made with separate stalls and feeding places for each cow, and large sheds adjoining contain an abundant supply of hay for winter use; while mangels,  maize, and other green fodder crops receive due attention in the field. From the large area of roofing a full supply of water is obtained, conserved in tanks, and conveyed to the cheese houses as required. 

The distinguishing feature in the new, or Cheddar, system of cheese making consists in the application of heat to separate the whey from the curd, by which such a uniformity of quality is ensured as could not be calculated upon under the old method. All the various details of the process being reduced to a  system, and the labor connected with it being reduced to a minimum by means of the machinery and appliances used, the drudgery connected with the old method is obviated. The application of the necessary heat is obtained on each of the Messrs. Buchanan's establishments by means of steam apparatus and the processes as conducted on each farm are so similar that a description of one will do for both. 

Selecting Mr. Jas. Buchanan's the day's proceedings are briefly as follows : - The herd is milked twice a day, the evening's milk being kept over till the morning. Both milkings are then passed through the strainer into the milk tub, a large copper vessel of 200 gallons capacity, occupying the centre of the manufacturing room, this milk-tub has a double bottom and sides, into the space between which a jet of steam is introduced from the boiler sufficient to raise the milk to 84 deg., the temperature at which it is 'set' for coagulation. Cold water pipes also communicate with the milk vessel, so that the steam can be shut off and water turned on should the temperature be unduly raised. Annatto, for coloring, and rennet for coagulating, is now introduced, and the whole is completely mixed. Coagulation is completed from fifty to sixty minutes. As soon as the curd becomes moderately firm the process of breaking it up commences, which is done by implements made for the purpose, the temperature being raised meanwhile to 102 deg. This process, which is called "cooking" the curd, is carried on until a peculiar degree of firmness and consistency, known to the practical cheese-maker by handling, is attained, after which the whey is drawn off by a pipe communicating with the piggeries. The curd is then cooled, salted, packed into the cheese vats and placed under the presses, after which the cheeses are removed to the shelves of the store-room. 

The various processes, from the milking in the morning to the pressing, are got over generally not later than noon of the same day, and the cheeses remain on an average about two and a-half days in the  press-room and three months in the store-room, at the end of which period they are sent to market. The portable nature of the commodity is not its least feature of merit, a considerable amount of value going into small bulk. The Messrs. Buchanan produce a superior article which always commands the top price, and they are known in the district as always having shown the utmost readiness to teach their neighbors how to attain similar excellence. They believe that the greater the quantity of cheese produced in the colony (providing it is of first-class quality), the better will be the price and the more steady the demand, this effect following as a direct result of our present export trade being largely increased. 

Mr. James Buchanan's books show the following wholesale prices per lb., received for each month's produce during 1875 :- January, 10d.; February, 10¼d.; March, 10d.; April, 10d.; May, 10d.; June, 10d.; July, 10d.; August, 10d.; September, 10d.; October, 10½d.; November, 11¾d.; December, 10½d. The total quantity sold from the farm amounts to on average of ten tons per annum; and there is a considerable return from pigs and other sources. The animal yield of milk has been reduced to some extent during the past year or two by the pastures being rather badly overrun with what is known as the yellow weed (Hypochæris radiata). Mr. Buchanan seldom employs more than two hands, who, together with his own personal superintendence, and occasional assistance from one or two of his family, are found sufficient to carry on all the operations.
Source - Melbourne Leader of March 25, 1876 (see here)

Tweet

Ercildoune - a farm at Lyndhurst - the Hall family days

In this post we will look at the history of a farm at Lyndhurst,  Ercildoune, in Hall Road. It was occupied by the Hall family from around 1860 until it was put up for sale in September, 1917 and purchased by William and Mary McNab, read about them, here.

Frederick Hall was born around 1830 to William and Grace (nee Tucker) Hall. Fred married Elizabeth Hunt in 1849 in Brighton. Elizabeth was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (nee Newman) Hunt. Fred and Elizabeth had the following children:
1. Louisa (birth registered at  Brighton, 1850. Married James Close in 1867; died 1923)
2. Frederick (birth registered at  Western Port, 1857; died in 1857, aged 5 months)
3. George (b. c. 1859. Married Mary Annie Thomas in 1883;  died in 1929 aged 70)
4. William (birth registered at  Lyndhurst, 1859; died 1942)
5. Frederick (birth registered at  Lyndhurst, 1861. Married Emma Carol Gaunt in 1896; died 1942)
6. Elizabeth (birth registered at  Lyndhurst, 1864. Married Percy Teychenne in 1886; died 1892)
7. Emma (birth registered at  Cranbourne, 1866. Married Christopher John James in  1888; died 1941)
8. Susannah (birth registered at Cranbourne, 1868. Married Daniel Tierney in 1907; died 1955)
9. Fannie (birth registered at  Cranbourne, 1870. Married Thomas James Stephenson in 1891; died 1940)
10. Walter Henry (birth registered at  Cranbourne, 1873; died 1922)
11. Florence (birth registered at  Cranbourne, 1875. Married Richard Ernest Einsiedel in 1899; died 1962)
12. Alfred (birth registered at Cranbourne, 1878; died 1929)

The house on the property, is now surrounded by housing estates, but is owned by the City of Casey, who are looking at options for its future use. The property is on the City of Casey Heritage database and is listed as being constructed in c. 1888, 25 or so years after the Hall family arrived in the area and when the family obviously had some capital behind them to build a new house. The Heritage citation describes the house thus Aesthetically, it is significant as a superior and well-preserved example of a Victorian Italianate villa in a rural setting. You can read the citation, here.

We are fortunate that in 1893, Fred was interviewed by the Australasian newspaper, so we have some idea of his life and his farming methods. The article said  that Fred had been on his farm at Lyndhurst, for 33 years, which is 1860; however as one child was registered at Western Port in 1857 they were obviously in the area earlier.  Frederick Hall died in 1896 and Elizabeth died in 1916. They are both buried at Cranbourne Cemetery.

The Australasian  July 1, 1893

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138656960

The interview with Fred is transcribed here and you can see it on Trove, here.

DAIRYING IN GIPPSLAND.

(BY OUR AGRICULTURAL REPORTER.)

A CRANBOURNE FARM.

One of the most advanced and successful dairymen in Gippsland is Mr. F. H. Hall, of 'Ercildoun'e, whose farm is situated a few miles from Cranbourne, on the Frankston road. Mr. Hall has been engaged in dairying for probably a longer period than any other farmer in the colony, and on that account his experiences and the system he adopts in managing his herd are of exceptional interest and value. He arrived in Victoria when quite a young lad in 1833, and has, therefore, had sixty years of colonial experience. What a long time to look back, and what changes he must have witnessed in the development of the country. For the last thirty-three years Mr. Hall has been engaged in dairying on the farm where he now resides.

SOME EARLY REMINISCENCES
Although close upon seventy years of age Mr. Hall is still a robust, healthy man of fine physique, and a typical specimen of a jovial, burly yeoman. He performs some light work every day, either among the cows or in the paddocks, for he says he was accustomed to active employment in his early life, and complete idleness would soon kill him. His "yarns" about the digging days and the troubles of early settlement in the colony would interest many of those desirous of going on to the land to-day, and would prove to them that the present depression and difficulties are trivial compared to what they were before the discovery of gold in the fifties. "Times are considered bad enough now," said Mr. Hall, in our conversation, "but I have seen them very much worse." "I remember" he went on, "when quite a big, strong fellow, and able and willing to undertake any kind of labour, that wages
were far lower than they are now." He had worked as hard as any farm hand has to do now for 3s. per week and his keep, and he even ventured to marry on a salary of 15s. a week. Young men turn up their nose at such a wage nowadays, but Mr. Hall not only made progress but reared a family on it. Of course, the comparative value of 15s. now and fifty years ago are two very different things, yet it is refreshing to hear an old pioneer like Mr. Hall speak of the present dull times with a lightness of heart which indicates the great confidence he has in the future prosperity of the country.

THE SYSTEM OF FARMING
The area of the farm is 250 acres. The land is all first-class, however, and above the average in quality of the soil in the Cranbourne district. It was originally pretty heavily timbered, but nothing like to the country further south about Korumburra or Leongatha. Similar land could be cleared to-day for about £6 an acre. The system of farming pursued is simple, but methodical. Nearly everything grown on the place is converted into milk and batter. A number of pigs and poultry are kept, but the chief pursuit is dairying. About 80 acres for hay are cultivated each season for the sole use and benefit of the cows, which are all fed liberally in their stalls throughout the winter, or whenever the grass becomes scarcer. Mr. Hall grows, also, a large quantity of green crops for mixing with the hay. At the present time there are about 10 acres of green fodder, consisting chiefly of barley and rye, ready for cutting, and which would, have been ready before now but for the dry autumn experienced. A continuous supply of this green feed is provided by sowing at different periods. A quantity of maize is generally grown for summer and early autumn feed, but the maize failed last season on account of the dry weather. When the maize crops are finished, a rotation of green barley, oats, or rye is available, and they are severally used for mixing with the chaff and bran ration. Mr. Hall has been farming on this system for years, and he finds it to be much more profitable than the usual plan of allowing the cows to dry off in their milk for want of feed.

HOW THE COWS ARE TREATED
As already indicated, the cows are exceptionally well provided for at 'Ercildoune' in the shape of food. Unless in the season when the grass is flush and verdant, they are liberally hand fed in the byre or shed at very considerable expense. Mr. Hall says that feeding the cows well is the only way—and he speaks from a long experience—to make dairying profitable. Yet the majority of farmers who make butter do not feed their cattle in winter. The question is whether they or Mr. Hall is right. I venture to assert that the latter makes most money at the business, and that surely is the main object, without discussing the relative cost or trouble attached to the two systems of feeding v. starvation. Mr. Hall also believes in providing shelter for his cattle. His milch cows are stabled every night all through the winter—a practice too seldom adopted in Gippsland, or any other part of the country. It involves a deal of extra Iabour and expense in cleaning out the stalls daily and in providing
bedding; but Mr. Hall has proved that the system pays better than allowing the cows to sleep out on the cold wet ground. He considers it is of little avail feeding a cow well, unless shelter is provided at the same time. Shelter, of course, is the equivalent of food, and the greatest abundance of fodder is wasted on any animal that is exposed to severe cold. Our own personal feelings tell us that in order to be well and healthy we must put on extra clothes in winter, and, further, that we will gain more benefit by the shelter and warmth obtained therefrom than by taking an extra quantity of food. Either man or beast is to be pitied who cannot secure sufficient clothing or shelter from the cold, and if we only consider how tender and sensitive an animal a milch cow is, the folly of expecting her to yield a large quantity of milk under such conditions is at once apparent.

THE RESULTS OBTAINED
The first immediate result of feeding and stabling the cows is the much larger quantity of milk they yield. Mr. Hall was at one time in the milk trade, but he now makes butter exclusively. Since he procured a cream separator he finds butter-making quite as profitable and easy as selling the whole milk. On an average his cows yield 8lb of butter per week throughout the year. The farmers who do not feed and shelter their cows obtain less than half of that return. If the cost incurred in the better treatment of the cows amounted to the value of the extra produce there would be no profit gained; but this extra expenditure Mr. Hall declares is all returned in the benefits resulting from the manure which is collected and applied to the land. The manure is the medium which enables him to produce heavy crops of hay, green fodder, and grass, and these in turn enable him to keep nearly double the number of cattle he could do otherwise. He, therefore, gets all the extra butter produced for
nothing, so to speak, and besides, from having so many more cows on the place, his aggregate returns and his profits are just about double of what they would be if the cattle were treated on the starvation system. It is easy to see from the good residence and steading, and the fine appearance of the farm generally, with everything in excellent condition, that Mr. Hall has prospered. He would assuredly have been a poor man still if he had not fed and sheltered his cows. Dairymen who follow his example will never, I feel sure, regret giving up the ruinous practice of starving their animals in winter.

When Fred died in 1896 his address in the death notice was Malvern Grove in Caufield. Family members worked the farm and in 1905 George Hall advertised the farm for lease. The ad below is from The Leader February 25, 1905.

In September 1917, the farm was put up for sale and it was purchased by William and Mary McNab, (read about them, here.) The sale advertisment, from the South Bourke & Mornington Journal  September 6, 1917, for the property gives some idea of what the farm was like at that time. You can read it here, on line, and it is transcribed below.

SATURDAY. OCTOBER 13 At the Homestead, on the Property at 3 o'clock To Dairy Farmers, Small Holders, Farmers, Onion Growers and Others SUBDIVISIONAL SALE (in the Estate of the late F.Hall), situated within two miles of Cranbourne Subdivided into four farms, homestead and 80 acres, and three farms averaging about 55 acres each Some of the best land in the Cranbourne district.  KEAST, MORRIS AND  MILES and STEWART AND WOOD (in conjunction) have received instructions from the executors in the estate of the late F. Hall to sell by public auction that -

Very Fine Property, containing 245 acres,subdivided into four convenient farms, namely, homestead and 80 acres of land, and three farms averaging about 55 acres each. The homestead block will be sold together with all improvements, consisting of a brick and w.b. house, large milking shed, hay shed, stables and numerous outbuildings. All the blocks have a frontage to a good metal road, and the land consists chiefly of beautiful black banks, nice undulating rises, and is considered by good judges to be one of the best farms in and around the Cranbourne district, being situated only about 2½ miles from the Cranbourne railway station, the land now being occupied by Mr Strong, whose lease expires within a short period. We would draw special attention to the sale of this land, which is very suitable for dairying, potato and onion growing, mangles and maize, and in fact all kinds of root crops. The district has a splendid rainfall, and is considered to be one of the safest in any part of Victoria. The property has been in the Hall family for very many years, and is now being sold to wind up the estate, and intending purchasers can inspect with confidence. Buyers will be met at the Cranbourne railway station, and shown over the property, by giving one day's notice to the auctioneers.Liberal terms will be given. Plans on application to the agents. For further particulars, or arrangements to inspect, apply Keast, Morris and Miles, 140-6 Queen-st., Queen's House, Melbourne; Stewart and Wood, Alexandra Chambers, 46 Elizabeth street, Melbourne.

I have created a list of newspaper articles on the Ercildoune property on Trove, you can access it here. All the articles referenced here are on the list.

Tweet

A day in the Fen Country: Mr Lyall’s Breeding Stations by R. M'D.

The Leader newspaper of March 14, 1868 had a lengthy account of William Lyall's agricultural pursuits in the Fen Country. The Fens in England was a large area marshland which was reclaimed by drainage from around the 1650s to the 1800s. As Lyall's land bordered the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp it was logical name for the area. This article is of interest for  a number of reasons - it gives  a great description of the land between Cranbourne and Tooradin and Lang Lang before the Swamp was drained - it's a landscape that is much different from today when you drive doen the South Gippsland Highway. Secondly there is the total acceptance of aims of the Acclimatisation movement - where fauna from the United Kingdom was introduced into Australia  (the rabbit being the 'best' example of this). Thirdly, I like the rivalry between Cranbourne and Berwick displayed by 'mine host' at Cranbourne.

I have edited the article , you can read the full article on Trove here http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197424726

It is once in seven years that I visit the fen country. That period I hold to be about the proper interval of time between one visit and another to a district that one is not intimately connected with by either birth or business. It is sufficiently long to note any progressive changes that have taken place in the scenes around one; and it is sufficiently short to enable the memory to recall the exact state of former things. My late visit has been superinduced in this way. Having occasion to penetrate into the County of Mornington the length of Cranbourne, not so much to refresh myself as the little nag that carried me thither,  I pulled up about midday at a respectable place of entertainment 'for man and beast.'
After the usual salutations, ‘and something more’ with mine host, this town, said I, inquiringly, is the capital of Mornington. 'It ought to be' said my sonsie [healthy, robust] friend but at present it is stripped of its dues.' 'How so?' said I. ' Not,' replied he ‘because it lacks any of the natural advantages that are essential to constitute a fine inland toon. We have around us the  finest agricultural land, plenty of wood, and water, honest men and bonny lasses; but that outlandish place, Berwick, has taken the agricultural show from us, for this season.' 'Is Berwick not equally suitable as a showground?' said I. 'Bless, you’ said my friend, 'will William Lyall, with his hares and pheasants and partridges; with his ponies and racers and Punches [type of draught horse] and with his enormous English sheep, and white-faced cattle, go there? Not he; it is too far away, and what can be the good of the show?'


I stood the whole of this lively recital with admirable composure, until mention was made of the ' white-faced cattle,' when former recollections of 'Old Star' and her offspring rushed in upon me, and the disposal of the morrow was very summarily' decided. A few more minutes and I was jogging on my way….. in the direction of- Tooradin, the nearest homestead or 'head station’ as we used to call such establishments, of the father of acclimatisation in Victoria - William Lyall.

This is the Acclimatisation Society's medal - which shows some of the animals introduced to Victoria - deer, ostrich, pheasant, swan, rabbit and  hare.

State Library of Victoria Image IAN20/06/68/8   

My way, for a considerable distance after leaving 'the toon o' Cranbourne,' lay through a track of country extremely dreary and suggestive of immediate action on the part of the Acclimatisation Society, in stocking its heathy hummocks with grouse and blackcock from the 'Land o' Cakes’ Then I wended on through a stunted forest of the unenviable sort of  timber commonly called ‘bastard box,' from which I at last emerged into a prairie of considerable extent, and, as far as I could judge perfectly level. This plain, through some agency that I do not here undertake to explain, is evidently year by year becoming larger.  The trees are decaying all around its margins, and stand there in thousands, branchless and bleached with the action of the weather. And here, as everywhere, else, where this decay of the forest sets in, the pasturage is very perceptibly improved. The surface soil,  in the first place, is being materially enriched with the deposit shed from dying timber; while the subsoil is not only spared the former exhaustion through the medium of the root, but is actually benefited by the presence of that root now in a state of decomposition. 

The improvement which  took place in this Plain of  Sherwood [Parish of Sherwood], since my former visit, may therefore be partly ascribed to this mysterious decay of the forest, partly to the present treatment of the pasturage (sheep grazing), and in a great measure to the free and fertilising action of the sun upon the surface. This plain, in fee simple, I am informed, is the property of an old and well known colonist, who is now for some years absent from the colon - Mr John Bakewell. It does not require the precision of prophecy to foretell that it will become, at some future day, a princely estate. It already, in natural richness and levelness, invites the presence of the steam plough; but while in a sort of reverie…. I arrived at my destination for the day, Tooradin.

This is William Lyall (1821 to 1888) on the left and John Mickle (1814 to 1885), taken in 1853. 

Photo from The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson

Mickle, Lyall and John Bakewell (1807 to 1888) were business partners who in 1851  acquired the Yallock Run (based on the Yallock Creek, south of Koo-Wee-Rup). In 1852 they acquired the Tooradin run and in 1854 they acquired the Great Swamp run and at one stage they occupied nearly all the land from Cranbourne to Lang Lang.  Lyall's sister Margaret was married to John Mickle. 

I had the good luck of finding the 'Laird' at home; but the day was too far gone to admit of seeing anything in the way of stock, beyond what some fashionable writers of  the day call 'the sires of the season'  The writer then goes on to describe the horses, including the redoubtable Dockin, famous in every show yard as the first prize Shetlander. He was supposed to be good when first purchased, in his native little island….twelve or thirteen years ago; but he is now known to be good, not wholly for winning so many fields, but for getting an innumerable race of crack animals.

The next day Lyall and the writer reviewed the sheep - These are exclusively of pure Romney Marsh blood, and spring from six or seven ewes and a ram of that breed imported  by Mr Lyall nine or ten years ago. He was induced, I believe, in a greater degree to try this breed on the Fen country from the adaptability its name indicated, than from any personal knowledge he has had of this variety of sheep; however that, maybe, the experiment has resulted to his satisfaction.  The little 'mob' now amounts to about seventy head and all of them, from the patriarch of the flock to the youngest lamb, are in fine blooming health.

They then go to view the white faced cattle and …there beamed the lovely countenances of 'Old Star' and her numerous offspring. There, the old cow stood, on the eve of bringing the thirteenth calf (her fourteenth, should she bring twins) within ten years. At the R.A.S show at Salisbury in 1857, where she stood first as the ‘best heifer in milk in calf’ she was probably as perfect a specimen of the Hereford breed as was ever seen.

The writer then has a number of paragraphs about Lyall’s cattle when they then went to see Lyall’s house, Harewood, which was under construction. Here tradesmen were busy in finishing a mansion, intended for the laird's residence. This is built of brick, on a sand hill, on the very shore of Western Port. We soon toddled up stairs to get a survey of the outlines of the district.  The dimensions of the windows were just sufficiently liberal herein to gratify my curiosity. These I found, when my surprise subsided a little to be somewhere about eighteen inches in breadth, and about four feet in height. 'What on earth' said I, 'induced you to have the windows so small?' 'This, my good fellow, in our climate, is the right sort,' replied the laird.' You never saw a more absurd or unprofitable thing' continued he ‘than first to make large windows to let in the whole blaze of day light and heat upon you, and then to send off the dray for a load of 'soft goods' to keep that light and heat out again’.

Harewood. Photographer: John T. Collins, taken April 1975. 

The photo clearly shows the windows that are about eighteen inches in breadth, and about four feet in height  that raised the curiosity of  the writer.  

State Library of Victoria  Image H97.250/1833 

My eye, by this time, was ranging to the far north, where the Dandenong mountains towered up to the clouds. Nearer to me, in that direction, not a feature was sufficiently prominent to attract my attention.  The whole expanse was one dead solitude….On turning to the south, there, away in the distance, gloomy and sombre, lay French Island and the whole bosom of the calm bay between us, thickly dotted with sea fowl and waterfowl of several varieties, whose names were as unknown to me as was their gabble, which, at moments of apparent excitement, became a perfect 'Babel.' In fact, the whole scene became too grand for a person of my temperament. I began to get a little melancholy.

Off we were again to Yallock, Mr Lyall's furthest away station. It is here the sheep are washed and shorn, for here is a running stream of fine soft water [Yallock Creek], and clean pasture to preserve the fleece, in the interval between washing and shearing, in a state of purity. The woolshed is here, too, but at the present juncture, it is converted into a stable for the colts which are undergoing a slight modicum of training, ere being brought to the hammer during the present month. ….. And, to be candid, I saw something else here that please me more than any sight of thorough-bred colts would. 'The man who makes two blades of grass grow where one grew before is a benefactor to his country.' But at Yallock, four blades are growing now to the one that grew there during my former visit. The various kinds of clovers sown around the swamp and on the sheepfolds are spreading fast and taking possession of every spot of broken surface. The close and cutting treading of the flocks too is polishing and consolidating the surface, and thus effecting a constant improvement. In fact so rapid, now-a-days, is the march of improvement in the Fen country that henceforth I see clearly, if I am , to keep myself properly posted up, I must reduce the period between my visits to one-half its former duration, that is, from seven to three and a-half years.

Tweet